Turkish PM promises to ban Facebook and YouTube

Turkish PM promises to ban Facebook and YouTube

ANKARA -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he would ban the use of Facebook and YouTube in Turkey after the March 30 elections in that country.

"There are new measures that will be taken after March 30, including a ban on Facebook and YouTube," Erdogan told private Turkish television ATV.

The Turkish opposition has been demanding his resignation ever since a scandal broke out after a series of high-ranking officials were arrested on suspicion of corruption.

Last week, a recording of a telephone conversation directly linking Erdogan to corruption surfaced online.

During the controversial phone conversation, the authenticity of which has not yet been confirmed, Erdogan allegedly asks his son "to conceal large sums of money," said reports.

Turkey's prime minister on Wednesday accused his opponents of conspiring to overthrow the government, and said the recordings published on the internet were "immoral montage."

Since the arrest of dozens of officials close to the regime on charges of corruption, Erdogan has repeatedly accused the influential Islamic movement Gulen of conspiring in order to weaken the regime.

Asked to comment on Erdogan's announcements that access to the two "social networks" would be banned in Turkey, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that this would be "out of the question."